Effects of a pulsed CO2 laser radiation on a single water droplet

Pulses from a pulsed CO2 laser are used to irradiate water droplets with radii ranging from 8 to 400 microns. For a pulse time adjustable between 2 and 8 microseconds, the energies per unit surface used for the interaction are between 1 and 4 J/sq cm. An Imacon 790 converter camera which allows framing rates of between 10,000 and 2 x 10 to the 7th frames/s with fast framing and a scanning rate of between 1 ns/mm and 1 microsec/mm with streak photography, is used for the measurements. Four mechanisms which intervene: vaporization, deformation, shattering, and propulsion, are presented and discussed.